A YouTuber Might Be Going To PRISON For Playing Pokemon Go

Giving a tired game some much needed edge...

Gotta catch 'em all Image Picture Nintendo

The perils of playing Pokemon Go are well-documented, but one Russian gamer could be facing a stiffer punishment than most after he was caught playing the game in Church – something the authorities felt warranted a jail sentence.

YouTuber Russian Sokolovsky has been in jail since October after being accused of inciting religious hatred by playing Pokemon Go in a church. Worse yet, the church itself is apparently built on the very spot where the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks back in 1918.

For this offence, the 22-year-old is facing SEVEN years in prison after he posted the video of himself catching Pokemon’s in the Orthodox Church. Perhaps not the best idea.

“I didn’t ask these people to watch my video clips,” said Mr. Sokolovsky to gathered journalists after his trial began today in Moscow. [via NDTV]

Meanwhile Amnesty International has jumped in on the issue claiming that the charges placed against the YouTuber are “farcical.” We can’t help but agree.

Along with his illegal Pokemon Go activity, he’s also in trouble for possessing a novelty ‘spy pen’ which was found in his flat during a search.

Nevertheless, one benefit of this fiasco is that perhaps Pokemon Go will gain a much-needed shot in the arm, having suffered a dip in popularity in recent months.